WHEN Mark “Bam Bam” Flanagan fights to become Australia’s cruiserweight champion next month, he’ll have the North Queensland Cowboys in his corner.

Flanagan, 23, has been training at Cowboys HQ for more than seven years as part of his rise up the Australian boxing ranks, and has gained the respect of some of Australia’s toughest first grade footballers thanks to his fighting talent.

One of those admirers is Flanagan’s former junior rugby league adversary Anthony Mitchell, who played against the Kelso-based boxer during his rise towards a professional football career.

Flanagan (won 15, lost 4, drawn 0) will fight 10-time Australian cruiserweight champion Daniel Ammann (29-6-1) at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre on May 24, and is riding a wave of hype following his first-round knockout of Andrew Green in February.